ET501
J. Keuss
Spring 2008
FTS-FNW

ET501: CHRISTIAN ETHICS. Jeffrey F. Keuss.

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COURSE DESCRIPTION: To introduce students to the critical study of Christian perspectives on ethics and public issues in contemporary society in light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This course will help students: To develop an understanding of the range of Christian approaches to public issues in the field of social theology and Christian social ethics. To explore the relationship between church and society from an inter-disciplinary perspective, including the social sciences. To examine public issues in areas like politics, public policy, and bio-ethics from different theological, ethical and ecclesiastical perspectives. To develop students’ critical, analytical, social and communication skills. A deeper reflection upon the Sermon on the Mount and other New Testament resources as guides in making informed decisions in regard to current cultural concerns such as violence and peacemaking, sanctity of life, sexual faithfulness, truth-telling, love, justice (economic, racial, and ecological).

COURSE OBJECTIVES/LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. To increase my skill for teaching Christian ethics in my place of ministry.

2. To enable me to understand and dialogue with ways of reasoning ethically other than my own.

3. To enable me to grow in my own ethics, and to be able to articulate how it relates to biblical faith.

4. To enable me to reason ethically in relation to several concrete contemporary ethical issues.

5. To enable me to reason ethically and to anticipate how I might do that effectively in relation to other

ethical issues beyond those explicitly studied in this course

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: Christians, both as lay ministers and in pastoral vocation, teach Christians to be disciples and to make disciples, equipping persons to be Christians in character and lifestyle, followers of Christ. This course will study how biblical and theological faith are integrated with experiential information in growing character, in confronting moral problems, and in practices of Christian churches.

COURSE FORMAT: 30 hours of weekly lectures, class discussion and case studies on Christian theological and ethical responses to public issues.

REQUIRED READING:

• Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Ethics 5^th Edition (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1955, 1995).
• Danner, Mark. The Massacre at El Mozote. New York: Vintage, 1994. 9780679755258. 320p.
• Gill, Robin . Textbook of Christian Ethics 3rd Edition. London: T&T Clark 2006. 9780567031129. 480p.
• Gutierrez, Gustavo. We Drink from Our Own Wells: The Spiritual Journey of a People. Maryknoll: Orbis, 2003. 9781570754968. 210p.
• Hays, Richard. The Moral Vision of the New Testament: Community, Cross, New Creation. New York: Harper San Francisco, 1996. 9780060637965. 528p.
• Stassen, Glen Harold, and David P. Gushee. Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2002. 978083082668. 538p.
• Trible, Phyllis. Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives, Overtures to Biblical Theology Ser.; Vol. 13. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1984. 9780800615376. 144p.
• Yoder, John Howard. The Politics of Jesus. Waynesboro: Authentic Paternoster. 9780853646204. 256p.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Reading a minimum of 1000 pages from the required and recommended course reading and submitting a reading report as assigned. (20%)

2. A 10 page Reflection Essay on Case Study taken from the reading of Mark Danner, The Massacre at El Mozote (New York: Vintage, 1993). (30%)

3. A 15 pg. essay on a key dimension of Christian Ethics drawn from one of the following categories: (1) Violence, Peace and Just War Theory, (2) Bioethics, (3) Environmental Ethics, or (3) Economic and Communitarian Ethics. (50%)

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: ETH in M. Div., MAT/BST, MAT Gen’l and MACL

FINAL EXAMINATION: No final exam